Handicap Recalculation Schedule

    Handicaps will be re-calculated after each week of the season.  The handicaps at the beginning of the year will be used to place players in flights; players will stay in the same flight during the first half, no matter how the handicaps change. After the end of the first half, handicaps will be used to place players in flights based on the handicaps at that time. So it is possible for a player to be in different flights in the two halves of the season.

How Handicaps are Calculated

    You don't have to understand this section to enjoy playing in the league, but if you are curious about how handicaps are calculated, read on...!

    When handicaps are revised, the number of strokes over par for the last round of league play will be multiplied by 80%. If that number is within 0.5 of the old handicap, the handicap doesn't change. If the calculated value is between 0.5 and 1.5 away from the old handicap, then the new handicap is one higher or lower than the old handicap; between 1.5 and 2.5 means that the new handicap is two higher or lower than the old handicap, etc.

    At any one revision point, no player's handicap may go up by more than 2 strokes, nor go down by more than 3 strokes.

    As an example, say that a player has a 19 handicap, and the player's last score was 63, which is 27 strokes over par.  Multiplying the strokes over par by 80% gives a calculated value of 21.6.  Since this is 2.6 greater than the old handicap, we round up to 3 and so the new handicap should be 3 strokes higher.  But no handicap may increase by more than 2 strokes at any one revision, so the new handicap for this player would be 21.

Handicaps for the Start of the Year

    We start a new year using the ending handicap from last season PLUS 2 strokes as half of the value, and 80% of the average strokes over par from the practice rounds in April as the other half.  If a player is new to the league, then the starting handicap is based on the practice rounds (so be sure to play the practice rounds and turn in your scores!).  For example, a player that ended last year with an 11 handicap and has an 80%-of-avg.-over-par-from-practice-rounds figure of 17 would start the year with a 15 handicap, because (13 + 17) ÷ 2 = 15.